Franklin spells out required upgrades for Del Webb plan

Nov. 9, 2013

Written by

Kevin Walters

The Tennessean

Bruce Sloan

Del Webb discussion

Franklin aldermen will discuss the PulteGroup’s proposed Franklin Del Webb project during their nonvoting work session at 5 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall in downtown Franklin.

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FRANKLIN — The city of Franklin is spelling out specific improvements that homebuilders at the PulteGroup must make — including $9 million in road upgrades — if the company wants to build its more than 780-home Del Webb subdivision along Del Rio Pike.

The city’s proposed plan of services, released Friday, would ask PulteGroup to spend about $9 million to upgrade the now-rural Carlisle Lane and Del Rio Pike, including adding bicycle lanes, sidewalks and a new median. The company also must relocate and expand the current Westhaven sewer pump station to the Del Webb site.

Yet after weeks of back-and-forth discussions, Pulte officials are not on board with all of Franklin’s demands. Ultimately, city staff and aldermen must decide whether to ease back or hold tight to the city’s wish list.

“We presented them an alternative that was sized to accommodate the Del Webb annexation and allows for future incremental construction and additional capacity to be undertaken by other developments that might occur within the West Harpeth beyond the annexed area,” said Bruce Sloan, PulteGroup division president. “Both documents have points that should be considered and further evaluated as (aldermen) offers direction.”

PulteGroup wants aldermen to eventually approve a plan of services and annex about 400 acres into the city limits. The Del Webb development is restricted to homeowners ages 55 and up, and no children are allowed to live in a Del Webb development.

If approved, the community would be the company’s second Del Webb development in Tennessee after one now in Mt. Juliet. The prospect of a Del Webb project in Franklin has drawn backlash from residents along Del Rio Pike who fear the loss of green space and increased traffic congestion.

But Sloan contends about half the 400-acre site would remain open space while the local roads today would adequately meet the increase from Del Webb.

But Franklin officials want Del Webb to spend more on upgrading roads and sewer. Specifically:

• Franklin wants the developer to construct more than $9 million in upgrades, including a $5.6 million connector road from State Route 96 West to the intersection of Del Rio Pike and Cotton lane, adding two 12-foot-wide lanes, two 4-foot-wide bicycle lanes and a sidewalk on both sides of the roadway. Other improvements are for Del Rio Pike.

• The city is also requiring two accesses to the property, including one into the adjacent Whitehall Farms subdivision. One access would be off Del Rio Pike south of Whitehall Drive and a second access would connect Brinkley Drive and Whitehall Drive within the subdivision.

• The company also would upgrade the wastewater/sanitary sewer infrastructure including a new pump station on its property.

PulteGroup would not be eligible to receive credits known as offsets from Franklin for the road improvements because the roads are not arterial roads, the city said.

However, Pulte would be eligible to receive offsets for the wastewater upgrades. No cost estimates were available.